Improvement in construction of sailing-vessels



Patented April 10, 1877.

MPEYERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL Gr. HERRESHOFF, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTlON OF SAlLlNG-VESSELS- Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 189,459, dated April 10, 1877; applicationfiled March 20, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATHANIEL G. HER-RESHOFF, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating toSailing-Vessels, by which I can obtain great speed and stability, withsafety and comfort; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof.

I employ two hulls, each of a proper model, held at aconsiderabledistance apart, parallel to each other. nects the hulls and supports thedeck and mast or masts.

I provide, by peculiarities in the frame-work and attachments, for aconsiderable amount of independent plunging or longitudinal pitching ofeach hull, and also for considerable lateral rolling, both of which areimportant provisions for navigation on the open sea. 1 restrain thelateral rolling by elastic connections,

The steering is efficiently provided for. A center-board may be mounted,if desired, in one or both the bulls, and ample provision is made forbracing the mast or masts.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention in a small vessel with one mast and abowsprit.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a plan view. Fi 2 is a central cross-section, and Fig. 3 anisometric view of the whole.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A A are respectively the port and starboard hulls, each complete initself, and constructed" with a center-board case, center-board, rudder,&c. Thereshould be a tightdeckoneach, with provisions for pumping. Inlarge vessels the space below deck in each hull may be utilized. I willdescribe this as too small to allow such to be efi'ected with economy.

Points near the bow of each hull are connected by slightly-curved beamsB, trussed with rods b, and united to the hulls at each end by universaljoints 0 O. A similar trussed beam is similarly jointed to each hull Apeculiar frame-work con-v near the stern. The hulls may pitchindependently of each other, and the universal joints 0 will impose norestraint on the movement. A straight or slightly-curved timber, M,extends longitudinally along the center, just below the transversepieces B, and jointed to each.

A straight stick, D, extends across at a higher elevation, about midwaybetween the stem and stern. An upright or nearly upright link, E, bearson each hull A a little one side of the center line, with a universaljoint, tree to work in all directions. The upper end of each link, E, issimilarlyjointed to the under side of the cross-piece or central beam D.a deck, of a light oval l'orm, l having a suitable raised rim orbulwark, i adapted to accommodate persons, stores, &c. It is secured toboth the transverse beam D and the longitudinal piece M. it isFurthermore secured to the must H, which it aids to support, and bywhich it is in turn supported. The weightot' anyload upon the deck Gristransmitted to the hulls A through the medium mainly of the (ll'OSSlJBkLlll D and upright links E, which bear amidships, but partly throughthe other crosspieces B, which bear near the ends, res 'ie ctively.

Stiff diagonal bra-:es D connect the ends of the beam D with thebowsprit, which latter is also firmly connected to the mast.

A short upright, M, is fixed to the forward end of the piece M, and aidsto support the bowsprit I. It also receives a bob-stay, m, which extendsfrom the forward end of the bowsprit under the piece M to the foot ofthe mast H. Another tore-and-at't stay, or, extends from the foot or themast H to the after end of the timber M. Two other stays, h It, connectthe foot of the mast H with each end,

respectively, of the cross-beam D, and still another, h, with the top ofthe upright M. A pair of stays, d (1, connect the ends of the cross-beamD with the front end of the timber M, and another pair, 61 (1, connectthe same ends with a point near the after end of the same beam M. Allthese may be steel wire, galvanized, tinned, or otherwise protected fromoxidation. The whole produces a light framework, supporting the deck andits load, and also the mast and bowsprit, upon the hulls, with freedomfor the latter to both pitch and roll.

An elastic restraint upon the rolling is imposed through the medium ofarms A A of ash or other strong and elastic material, extending fromeach hull toward theother, and terminating near, but nottouching, thecentral timber M. These arms A may be connected to the boat thrugh themedium of bolts with india-rubber washers, or the like, to increase theelasticity.

Their inner extremities are connected by links A with an inner piece, G,of ash. or other elastic material, held a little below the deck G. When,in either a ground-swell or a chopping sea, one or both of the hulls Aseeks to roll, the motion is resisted simply by this elastic train ofconnections. The result is a limited freedom of the rolling, the piecesA and G yielding upward and downward to accommodate the motion, andpromptly bringing each hull to an even keel so soon as the disturbingstrain is diminished. The helm J is applied not on either of therudder-heads, but on a separate shaft, J, in the central line of thestructure, and farther forward than the rudders. On the lower end ofthis shaft are arms J extending obliquely backward. To the end of each arod, K, is jointed, which connects to an arm on the rudder, on theopposite side-that is to say, the rod K from the port arm J extends tothe starboard rudder, and the rod K from the starboard arm J extends tothe port rudder.

In turning a double boat, one hull necessarily makes a shorter turn ordescribes a curve of less radius than the other. This requires that therudders of the two boats should'be turned to unequal extents, the boatwhich is the inside one, or nearest the center of the curvature, havingits rudder turned to the greatest angle. Such motion is obtained throughmy arrangement.

If the compound vessel is to be turned to port the helm is putstarboard, in the usual manner, turning the arms J J to the same extent,but by reason of their oblique position and their being centeredconsiderably in advance of the rudder-posts, the port rudder is turnedthrough a greater are than the other. When, on the other hand, thevessel is to be turned to starboard, the helm J is put to port, asusual, and the rudder on the starboard boat, which is then on a smallercircle, turns through the greatest arc.

Each side of and below the bowsprit are longitudinal pieces L, of hardwood, which, in

addition to their obvious service as supports for men in handling thejib, contribute somewhat to the strengthening of the frame-work.

I believe that any ordinary or suitable style of rigging may be adoptedon my mast and bowsprit. The long transverse beam D affords admirablepoints for attaching; back-stays for the mast and bowsprit shrouds fromthe bowsprit.

The wide base afforded by my two hulls allows the. carrying of anunusual quantity of sail.

In my experiments, including the Centennial yacht race in New Yorkharbor in 1876,

where my invention was ruled out after beatin g all the boats of thefleet, I used one large jib and mainsail. In that casethe constructiondiffered, in being steered by only one rudder, of which the shaft Jformed a part; but I prefer the two rudders, connected as herein shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. The two hulls A A, connected near the endsby the cross pieces B, with universal joints 0, as herein specified.

2. The longitudinal timber M and deck G, in combination with the endcross-pieces B, universal joints 0, and hullsA A, as specified.

3. The amidship-beam D and links E, in combination with the deckG, endconnections B 0, and hulls A A, as herein specified.

4. The elastic arms A A in combination with the hulls A A and theirconnections to the deck G, or its equivalent, as herein specified.

5. In a double-h'ulled boat, the mast H, aiding to support, and beingitself supported by, a deck, G, and having its foot braced in alldirections, as hereinspecified.

6. A double-hulled vessel having a deck or frame-work supported uponjointed connections, as and for the purposes herein specified.

7. In combination with the two connected hulls A A and two rudders, R R,the arms J 2 J and rods K, adapted to compel the turning of the onerudder more than the other, as herein specified.

8. The two'hulls A A, connections B O, and deck G, in combination with arudder or rudders, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of March,1877, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHL. G. HERRESHOFF.

Witnesses:

SOPHIE DI V. OHAPPOLIN, JAMES M. DRAKE.

